Aeroplane



Dec. 8', 1925- F. L. WATSON AEROPLANE 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 28 INVENTOR. F1 C(fl/ L, I i Emma.

Dec. 8, 1925- F. L. WATSON AEROPLANE Filed April '28 j I .IJVV'ENTOR. 1 Frcmkj. 71 5 0012.

- .dTTORJV'EY Patented Dec. 8, 1925.

UNITED STATES- 1,564,988 PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK L. WATSON, or rLAGLnn COLORADO, ASSIGNOR or onn-rwnnrin'rrr T0 DAVID v. ROWDEN, or FLAGLER, COLORADO, AND ONE-TWEN'IIETH T0 HARRY BEAsomor LINCOLN, xANsAs.

AEnorLANE.

Application filed April 28,1925. Serial No. 26,447.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK L. WATSON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Flagler, in the county of Kit Carson and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aeroplanes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accent. panying drawings.

This invention relates to aeroplanes and more particularly to a combined helicopter and wing lift type plane.- I An important object of the invention is to provide in a device of this character means for adjusting a single propeller so that it serves either as a tractor or as an elevator. I I

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved arrangement of drive for an. adjustable propeller of this type and a novel'means for" adjusting the propeller. I A still further object of the invention is to provide means for applying upward push to the tail portion of the plane so as to maintain the balance of the plane while employed as a helicopter.

Another object is the construction of the wing surfaces of the plane so that their resistance may be removed when the plane is employed as a helicopter.

A further object is to provide means for applying a brake to forward movement of the plane. I

These and other objects I attain by the construction shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a plan view of an aeroplane constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 2 1s a side elevation thereof;

Figure 3 isa detailed sectional viewthrough one of the wings showing the operating mechanism for the wing section;

Figured is a detailed sectional view show. ing the mounting of the segment upon the shaft; and

Figure 5 is a detailed view showing the locking means for maintaining the propeller in adjusted positions. 7 Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the nu eral 10 generally designates a fuselage provided with front and rear landing gears 11 and. 12 suitably cushioned, as at 13, to prevent transmission of shocks to the .fuselage. Arranged at opposite sides of the fuselage at the forward ends thereof are upper and lower wing structures 14 and 15, adjacent surfaces of the wing structures being spaced, for a purpose .pres ently to become obvious.

These wing structures are. each formed of a plurality of parallel longitudinally extending bars 16 each having secured thereto a shutter 17 of such. length that when ap} proximately horizontally disposed, its free end overlaps the next adjacent bar, At the I inner ends of the wing structures, each bar has secured thereto a segment. gear 18 meshing with a rack 19 extending along the edge of the plane structure and operated through a lever gear 20, the control of which is attained by an operating lever 21 arranged within the cock pit 22 convenientto the operators seat 23. This lever may be locked in either of two positions, as shown. In one I of these positions, the shutters 17 are substantially vertically disposed and olfer no resistance to vertical movement. In the other of these positions, these shutters combine toform awing for the plane. I Arranged within the cock pit is an'engine formed in two sections 24, the adjacent ends of these sections being spaced and the crank shafts of the sections being connected by a shaft .25. Arranged upon the shaft 25. are a fixed gear 26 and an idler 27 suitably held against longitudinal movement upon the shaft. 'Intermediatethe gears, a yoke 28 embraces the shaft and has secured thereto an arcuateworm gear 29 which may be driven from a worm 3O operable from a hand wheel 31 an anged adjacentthe pilot seat.

The fuselage in alignment with the yol: 20 is provided with. a slot 32 extending through an arc of approximately ninety de-- grees, one. end of the slotbeing horizontally aligned with the shaft 25 and the other end gear and indicated at 33 in which is mounted of the slot being-vertical1ydisp0sed above -this shaft. The yoke 29 has bearings se-' cured in position by the segmental worm a propeller shaft 34,"the outer-end of which is directed throughthe slot 32. This shaft has a bevel gear35 at its inner end engagingwith the bevel gears 26, 27 and has at its outer end a tractor propeller 36. It will be obvious that by adjusting the segment 29 to the proper point, the pull of the propeller Inlay be exercised to either lift or pull the ane. Secured to the shaft 25 is gear 26 with which is engaged a pinion 38 secured to a shaft 39 having arranged therein a clutch 40. The rear end of the shaft is disposed adjacent the rear end of the tail portion of the fuselage and has secured thereto a pinion 41 meshing with the gear 42 and a vertically disposed shaft 43 arranged in suitable bearings 44, 45, carried by the fuselage and having beneath the fuselage tail a small pusher propeller 46 operating in a horizontal plane. It will be obvious that when this propeller is in operation, an upward thrust will be applied to the tail corresponding to the pull which may be exerted to elevate the forward end of the fuselage by the propeller 36. The shaft 43 has arrangedthereon a brake 47 interconnected with the clutch to be operated by a pedal 48, the connections being such that when the clutch is disengaged, the brake is applied and when the brake is applied, the clutch is engaged. Therefore, at all times when the propeller 40 isnot in use,-

it is locked against rotation or any movement. I

The rear edges of the wings 14, 15, are substantially vertically aligned and are connected by longitudinally spaced vertically extending bars 49. The upper wing has secured thereto a roll curtain 50, the lower edges of which are connected through a suit- I able guide cable 51 with a hand wheel 52 arranged within the cock pit and adjacent the pilot seat. By rotation of this hand wheel, the curtain may have its lower edge drawn down to the lower plane and is held against the bars 49 to provide a broad resisting surface to forward movement of the fuselage.

In the operation of the device, when it is desired to elevate the plane from the ground, the propeller 36 is arranged so that it is operating in a horizontal plane above the fuselage. The shutter sections 17 are substan tially vertically disposed and the clutch 40 is engaged and brake 47 disengaged. The

propellers 36,46, operating in unison will cause the plane to move vertically and after the desired height is attained, the propeller 36 may be restored to horizontal position and rotation of the propeller 46 checked by releasing the clutch and applying the brake. At the same time, the shutter sections 17 are moved to horizontal position or rather will tend to move to this position due to the traction which is applied to the plane. In order that the propeller 36 may be held in adjusted positions, each end of the slot is provided with a swinging lock member 53 which lock members coact with the end of the slot 32 to embrace the shaft and hold the same in adjusted positions. These look members are simultaneously controlled from a lever 54 arranged within the cock pit, this lever being lockable in that position of the lock members in which the shaft is held against movement. It will be obvious that the structure hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification without materially departing from the spirit of my invention and I accordingly do not limit myself to such specific structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, a driven shaft within the fuselage and extending transversely thereof, a propeller driven from the shaft, an arcuate track providing a guide for the propeller shaft, means for shifting the propeller shaft about said drive shaft from a position where it is horizontally disposed to a position where it is vertically disposed including a yoke rotatably embracing the drive shaft and having bearings for the propeller shaft, said yoke including a segment gear, a worm associated with the segment gear for rotating the yoke about the drive shaft and means at opposite ends of the track for locking the'propeller shaft at either end of the track.

2. In an aeroplane, a tailed fuselage, a vertically extending propeller'shaft at the tail of the fuselage, a propeller shaft at the forward end of the fuselage and shiftable therein from horizontal to vertical positions, a common drive for said propeller shaft, means for disconnecting the first named propeller shaft from the drive, a brake for the first named propeller shaft and means connecting said disconnecting means and brake whereby the brake is operative when the disconnecting means, is positioned to disconnect the first named propeller shaft.

3. In an aeroplane, a fuselage, wingssupported therefrom, a propeller driving mechanism therefor, means for shifting said pro- I peller to direct the same horizontally or vertically with respect to the fuselage, said wings being each formed with a plurality of shiftable shutters swingable from a posi tion where they combine to form a lifting wing surface to a position where they are vertically directed and offer no resistance to the vertical movement of the aeroplane,.said wings'including upper and lower wing elements, bars connecting the rear edges of said elements at each side of the fuselage and a curtain carried by one of the wing elements at eah side of the fuselage in advance of said ars and operable from the cock pit of the fuselage for extension between said wing surfaces to offer resistance to forward movement of the'aeroplane.

4. In an aeroplane, a tailed fuselage, a

'verticall f extending propeller shaft at' the with the first named pi'opelle r shaft and tail of t t e fuselage, a propeller shaft at the means for simultaneously operating said forward endof the fuselage and shiftable clutch and brake to apply the brake'as the 10 therein from horizontal to vertical p'ositions,- clutch is disconnected;

6 a common drive for said propeller shafts, a a In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my .peller shaft from the alive, a brake engaged clutch for disconnecting the first named prosignature. I

FRANKL. WATSON. 

